L'étude des instabilités aéro-élastiques, le flottement notamment, a été initiée au milieu du vingtième siècle, suite à de nombreux accidents de rupture d'aile d'avions ou de tabliers de ponts. L'un des accidents les plus connus est l'effondrement du pont de Tacoma, quelques mois après sa mise en service en 1940.Le flottement est une vibration synchronisée d'une structure souple se déplaçant dans un milieu fluide. Il se produit lorsque deux mouvements rythmiques réguliers coïncident de telle façon que l'un alimente l’autre, tirant l'énergie supplémentaire de l'écoulement environnant. Un cas classique de flottement d'aile d’avion consiste en la combinaison de mouvements de flexion et de torsion. Ce travail pose la problématique des instabilités par couplage fluide structure des surfaces portantes dans l’eau, les instabilités hydro-élastiques. Une différence importante par rapport aux instabilités aéroélastiques est le fait que la structure souple évolue dans un fluide lourd, ce qui implique en particulier des effets de masse ajoutée et d'amortissement fluide a priori importants. Le flottement est apparu pour la première fois sur les quilles composites des voiliers de compétition, donc dans l'eau, en 2004 :• Sur le voilier IMOCA 60 pieds POUJOULAT-ARMORLUX de Bernard Stamm, pendant la course transatlantique «The Transat» : il a perdu sa quille et chaviré.• Sur le voilier IMOCA 60 pieds SILL de Rolland Jourdain: la quille et le bateau ont été sauvés. Suite à ces problèmes - en particulier suite à la perte de la quille du voilier de Bernard Stamm, un accident qui aurait pu avoir des conséquences dramatiques pour le skipper – la société HDS, spécialisée dans la conception et le dimensionnement de structures composites, notamment dans le domaine du nautisme, s’est penchée sur le phénomène. Le flottement ne s'est produit que sur des quilles composites basculantes de voilier IMOCA 60 pieds et VOLVO 70 pieds. Les principales questions posées sont donc "Pourquoi les quilles composites sont-elles susceptibles de flotter, et est-il possible de prévoir et de prévenir ce comportement ?", puis "Une bonne estimation de la vitesse critique de flottement d'une quille peut-elle être calculée à moindre frais ?".Ce travail présente les méthodes analytiques, expérimentales et numériques mises en œuvre pour estimer la vitesse critique de flottement pour différents types d'appendices dans l'eau. Des modèles, basés sur une base modale tronquée pour les modes les plus énergétiques qui sont généralement, pour une quille à bulbe, le mode de flexion prépondérante et le mode de torsion prépondérante, sont développés et un outil de conception est proposé. Une des exigences de ce travail était, en effet, de réaliser un outil simple pour intégrer le calcul de la vitesse critique de flottement dans les premières boucles de conception d'une quille composite ou acier. Les modèles proposés, qui donnent de bons résultats pour les deux cas de flottement de quille présentés ci-dessus, sont confrontés à des résultats expérimentaux et à des simulations multiphysiques en couplage fluide structure réalisées en utilisant le logiciel ADINA. Enfin, une étude paramétrique est proposée présentant l'influence des principaux paramètres de conception sur l'apparition des instabilités. / The study of aeroelastic instabilities, including flutter, was initiated in the mid-twentieth century, following numerous accidents breaking wing aircraft or bridge decks. One of the most famous accidents is the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a few months after its commissioning in 1940.Flutter is a synchronized vibration which takes place in a flexible structure moving through a fluid medium. It occurs when two regular, rhythmic motions coincide in such a way that one feeds the other, drawing additional energy from surrounding flow. A classic case of wing flutter might combine wing bending with either wing twisting. This work raises the issue of instabilities in fluid-structure coupling for hydrofoils in water. An important difference from the flutter phenomenon in air is the fact that the flexible structure is evolving in heavy fluid; this implies in particular added mass effects and important fluid damping. Flutter appeared for the first time on racing yacht keels with composite fins, so in water, in 2004 :• On the IMOCA 60 feet boat POUJOULAT-ARMORLUX of Bernard Stamm during the transatlantic race 'TheTransat': he lost his keel and capsized.• On the IMOCA 60 feet boat SILL Rolland JOURDAIN: the keel and the boat were saved. Following these problems - particularly following the loss of the keel of Bernard Stamm sail-boat, accident that could have dramatic consequences for the skipper - HDS company, which is is a major player in the design of complex composite parts, especially for racing sailing yachts, focused on the phenomenon. Flutter has occurred only for canting keels with composite fins on IMOCA 60 feet and VOLVO 70 feet racing yacht. The main questions asked are “Why are composite keels susceptible to flutter, and is it possible to predict and prevent this behaviour?”, then “Can a fair indication of the flutter critical speed of the keel be given at low cost? ». This work presents the analytical, experimental and numerical methods implemented to estimate the critical speed for different types of appendages in water. Models, based on a truncated modal for most energetic modes which are generally, for a bulb keel, the lateral bending predominant mode and the torsion predominant mode, are developed and a design tool is proposed. One of the requirements of this work was to make a simple tool to integrate the calculation of the flutter critical speed in the first design loops of a composite or steel keel. The proposed models that give good results for both flutter cases on keels presented above, are confronted with experimental results and with fluid-structure multiphysic simulations performed using the software ADINA. Finally, a parametric study is proposed with the influence of the main design parameters on the occurrence of instabilities.

The purpose of this study is to mitigate the compromise between ride comfort and handling of a small single seat off-road vehicle known as a Baja. This has been achieved by semi-active control of the suspension system containing controllable magnetorheological (MR) dampers and passive hydro-pneumatic spring-damper units. MR fluid is a viscous fluid whose rheological properties depend on the strength of the magnetic field surrounding the fluid, and typically consists of iron particles suspended in silicone oil. When a magnetic field is applied to the fluid, the iron particles become aligned and change the effective viscosity of the fluid. The use of MR fluid in dampers provides variable damping that can be changed quickly by controlling the intensity of the magnetic field around the fluid. Various benefits associated with the use of MR dampers have led to their widespread implementation in automotive engineering. Many studies on conventional vehicles in the existing literature have demonstrated the conflicting suspension requirements for favourable ride comfort and handling. Generally, soft springs with low damping are ideal for improved ride comfort, while stiff springs with high damping are required for enhanced handling. This has resulted in the development of passive suspension systems that provide either an enhanced ride quality or good drivability, often targeting one at the expense of the other. The test vehicle used for this study is distinct in many ways with multiple characteristics that are not commonly observed in the existing literature. For instance, the absence of a differential in the test vehicle driveline causes drivability issues that are aggravated by increased damping. The majority of existing MR damper models in the literature are developed for uniform excitation and re-characterisation of model parameters is required for changes in input conditions. Although recursive models are more accurate and applicable to a wider range of input conditions, these models require measured force feedback which may not always be available due to limitations such as packaging constraints. These constraints required the development of alternative MR damper models that can be used to prescribe the current input to the damper. In this study parametric, nonparametric and recursive MR damper models have been developed and evaluated in terms of accuracy, invertibility and applicability to random excitation. The MR damper is used in parallel with passive damping as a certain amount of passive damping is always present in suspension systems due to friction and elastomeric parts. Most of the existing studies on suspension systems have been performed using linear two degree of freedom vehicle models that are constrained to specific conditions. Usually these models are implemented without an indication of the ability of these models to accurately represent the vehicles that these studies are intended for. For this study, a nonlinear, three-dimensional, 12 degrees of freedom vehicle model has been developed to represent the test vehicle. This model is validated against experimental results for ride comfort and handling. The MR damper models are combined with the model of the test vehicle, and used in ride comfort and handling simulations at various levels of passive damping and control gains in order to assess the potential impact of suspension control on the ride quality and drivability of the test vehicle. Simulation results show that lower passive damping levels can significantly improve the ride comfort as well as the handling characteristics of the test vehicle. Furthermore, it is observed that additional improvements that may be obtained by the implementation of continuous damping control may not be justifiable due to the associated cost and complexity. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

La congélation artificielle des terrains est une technique d'imperméabilisation et de renforcement des terrains régulièrement employée dans le génie civil et l'industrie minière. Dans un objectif de prédiction fiable de l'évolution de la congélation dans le milieu poreux, cette recherche propose deux nouveaux modèles numériques permettant la simulation du problème global de la congélation artificielle des terrains. Un premier modèle a pour objectif la représentation des mécanismes couplés thermo-hydrauliques associés à la congélation du matériau tandis qu'un deuxième modèle se concentre sur l'estimation des échanges de chaleur entre un puits de congélation et le terrain environnant. Le modèle thermo-hydraulique, en plus d'être cohérent sur le plan thermodynamique, a été vérifié à la fois par rapport à des solutions analytiques et par rapport à des résultats expérimentaux obtenus à grande échelle en conditions d'écoulements importants. Le modèle puits-terrain adopte une approche innovante par rapport à la bibliographie. Il permet de déterminer les conditions aux limites des modèles de congélation des terrains, difficiles à connaître en pratique, et d'optimiser les conditions opératoires du système grâce à des temps de simulation limités. De par les hypothèses considérées, leur fiabilité et leur praticité d'utilisation, ces deux modèles sont particulièrement adaptés à des sites industriels comme celui de la mine d'uranium de Cigar Lake (Canada) qui présente deux contraintes majeures : la présence potentielle d'écoulements importants et la forte hétérogénéité des terrains à congeler. Dans de tels contextes, des applications d'utilisation conjointe des deux modèles ou non sont présentées par rapport à des cas simples et au cas industriel de Cigar Lake. Ils peuvent ainsi être employés pour prédire l'évolution de la congélation dans le terrain en tenant compte des interactions thermo-hydrauliques, pour optimiser le système de congélation, ou encore pour évaluer l'impact sur la progression des zones congelées de conditions géologiques, hydrogéologiques et opératoires particulières. / Artificial ground freezing is a ground sealing and reinforcement technique regularly used in civil and mining engineering. In order to reliably predict the freezing evolution in the porous medium, this research offers two new numerical models allowing the simulation of the global problem of artificial ground freezing. A first model aims at representing the thermo-hydraulic coupled mechanisms associated with the material freezing while a second model focuses on the estimation of heat transfers between a freeze pipe and the surrounding ground. The thermo-hydraulic model, in addition to being thermodynamically consistent, has been verified both with respect to analytical solutions and large- scale experimental results obtained under conditions of high water flow velocity. The pipe-ground model adopts an innovative approach compared with literature. It allows to determine the boundary conditions of the ground freezing models, not readily available in practice, and to optimize the operating conditions of the system thanks to limited simulation times. By the considered assumptions, their reliability and their practicality, these two models are particularly well adapted to industrial sites like the uranium mine Cigar Lake (Canada) which presents two major constraints: the potential presence of high seepage-flow velocities and the strong ground heterogeneity. In these contexts, applications of the two models, jointly used or not, are presented with respect to simple cases and to the industrial case of Cigar Lake. They can be employed to predict the freezing evolution in the ground considering the thermo-hydraulic interactions, to optimize the freezing system, or to evaluate the impact of specific geological, hydrogeological and operating conditions on the freezing progress.

Le travail présenté dans ce document consiste à la réalisation d’outils et de méthodes numériques pour modéliser l’influence de la microstructure des shales à la fois sur les propriétés macroscopiques ainsi que sur le processus de fissuration. La première partie du document est dédiée à la description d’un modèle Éléments Finis 3D (E-FEM) développé pour représenter la microstructure ainsi que la fissuration. Ce modèle fait parti des méthodes à discontinuités. Deux critères de fissuration sont décrits, un en mode I (critère de Rankine) et un second en mode II (critère de Mohr-Coulomb). Ces critères seront utilisés pour caractériser l’influence de la microstructure des shales sur les propriétés macroscopiques à l’aide d’essai de compression triaxiale. Plus particulièrement l’impact de la présence de kérogène dans la roche de schiste sera étudié. La seconde partie présente une méthode de décomposition de domaine (la méthode de mortier) utilisée pour réduire les temps de calcul. Cette méthode a pour avantage de permettre l’utilisation de maillage non conforme, ainsi un raffinement local du maillage est possible. Cette méthode a été intégrée à un code de calcul utilisant la programmation orientée composant et plus particulièrement à l’aide du middleware CTL. Le code de calcul permet de résoudre des problèmes linéaires et non linéaires en utilisant le modèle E-FEM. La dernière partie concerne l'étude de l'influence de la minéralogie sur le processus de fissuration à l'aide du code de calcul parallélisé. Un modèle de couplage hydro-mécanique est ensuite développé et appliqué au calcul de fissuration pour mesurer l'impact de la fissuration sur la perméabilité des shales. / This research study aims at developing tools and numerical methods to model the influence of the microstructure of shales on macroscopic properties and cracking process. The first part of the document is dedicated to the description of a 3D Finite Elements model (E-FEM) developed to represent the microstructure and cracking phenomena. This model is part of the methods with discontinuities. Two cracking criteria are described, a mode I criteria (Rankine) and a mode II criteria (Mohr-Coulomb). These criteria will be used to characterize the influence of the microstructure of shales on the macroscopics properties in triaxial compression testing. More particularly, the impact of the presence of kerogen in the shale rock is considered. The second part presents a domain decomposition method (mortar method) used to reduce computation time. This method has the advantage of allowing the use of non-conforming mesh, so a local mesh refinement is possible. This method has been integrated into a computing code using the component-oriented programming and more specifically the CTL middleware. The computing code solves both linear and nonlinear problems using the E-FEM model. The last part concerns the study of the influence of mineralogy on the cracking process using the parallelized calculation code. A hydro-mechanical coupling model is then developed and applied to the calculation of crack to measure the impact of cracking on the shales permeability.

Le présent travail porte sur la modélisation 3D du comportement hydromécanique du bois en général et du sapin blanc en particulier, avec la prise en compte des couplages entre les effets orthotrope, hydrique, élastique, viscoélastique et mécanosorptifs, y compris l’effet hygroverrou qui est un phénomène de blocage temporaire de la déformation en phase de séchage sous contrainte. Ce mémoire est scindé en trois grandes parties découpées en sept chapitres. La première partie examine le contexte et la problématique du comportement hydromécanique du bois. Les aspects traités vont de la structure, du phénomène hygroscopique et de l’effet de retrait/gonflement, aux divers aspects du comportement hydromécanique du bois sous humidité constante ou variable comme l’orthotropie, la viscoélasticité et les effets mécanosorptifs qui traduisent l’interaction complexe entre le chargement mécanique et les variations d’humidité. Les bases pour la modélisation sont présentées dans le deuxième chapitre, telles que la formulation incrémentale à pas de temps fini pour modéliser le comportement viscoélastique orthotrope 3D et les modèles mécanosorptifs intéressants de la littérature. A partir de cette étude bibliographique, on propose une voie pour modéliser dans ce travail l’effet mécanosorptif comme la somme de trois effets élémentaires : effet mécanosorptif irréversible, fluage mécanosorptif et effet hygroverrou. Les deux premiers effets sont modélisés par des modèles existants tandis que la modélisation de l’effet hygroverrou est l’objet d’une démarche originale dans ce travail. La deuxième partie, décomposée en deux chapitres, est consacrée à la construction du modèle de comportement 3D. Le premier chapitre présente les développements mathématiques pour l’élaboration d’un modèle analytique. Ce modèle est basé sur l’hypothèse de partition de la déformation totale en une somme de six déformations élémentaires : hydrique, élastique instantanée, viscoélastique pure, hygroverrou, mécanosorptive irréversible et de fluage mécanosorptif. Les variations de ces déformations élémentaires sont établies de manière séparée. En particulier, la loi d’évolution de la déformation hygroverrou construite sur la base d’observations expérimentales, est différente en phase de séchage et d’humidification. Une contrainte auxiliaire, introduite en respectant les principes thermodynamiques, permet de résoudre le problème de la récupération de la déformation hygroverrou en phase d’humidification en cas de contrainte nulle ou insuffisante. En parallèle, un nouveau modèlerhéologique est également proposé pour modéliser le comportement viscoélastique à humidité variable. Ce modèle, équivalent à un modèle de Maxwell généralisé et/ou à un modèle de Kelvin-Voigt généralisé, est capable de décrire le fluage aussi bien que la relaxation. Le deuxième chapitre de cette partie est consacré à la transformation du modèle analytique en une forme incrémentale à pas de temps fini. La contribution de chaque partie élémentaire est établie par résolution exacte à partir d’équations différentielles ou d’intégrales de Boltzmann. La somme des formes élémentaires ainsi obtenues conduit à la loi de comportement du modèle complet qui est similaire à celle d’un comportement thermo-élastique équivalent. Du fait de la procédure d’intégration, le pas de temps de calcul est fini mais pas nécessairement petit. Cette propriété est très importante car elle permet de réduire considérablement le temps de calcul tout en préservant une très bonne précision. La dernière partie est divisée en trois chapitres. Elle présente la mise en œuvre numérique du modèle hydromécanique à l’aide du code d’éléments finis Cast3m, suivie de la validation et d’applications à diverses classes de problèmes. L’algorithme numérique est organisé en modules indépendants. Des procédures élémentaires sont construites pour réaliser des fonctions spécifiques ; elles sont appelées selon un ordre précis par un programme principal. (...) / This work concerns 3D modeling of hydro-mechanical behavior of wood in general and the silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in particular with taking account of the couplings between the effects: orthotropie, hydric, elastic, viscoelastic and mechano-sorptive including hydro-lock effect that is a temporary locking of the mechanical strain during a period of drying under stress. This memory is divided into three parts divided into seven chapters. The first part examines the background and the problem of hydro-mechanical behavior of wood. The aspects go from the structure, hygroscopic phenomenon and the effect of swelling/shrinkage, to various aspects of the hydro-mechanical behavior of wood under constant or variable moisture as orthotropie, viscoelasticity and mechano-sorptive effects that is the interaction complex between mechanical loading and moisture variations. The bases for modeling are presented in the second chapter, such as incremental formulation on finite time step to model the 3D orthotropic viscoelastic behavior and interesting mechano-sorptive models of literature. From this literature review, we propose a way to model in this work mechano-sorptive effect as the sum of three elementary effects: irrecoverable mechanosorptive, mechano-sorptive creep and hydro-lock effect. The first and the second effects are modeled by existing models while modeling hygroverrou effect is an original subject in this work. The second part, divided into two chapters, is dedicated to building the 3D model of behavior. The first chapter presents the mathematical developments for the development of an analytical model. This model is based on the assumption partition of the total strain by a sum of six elementary strains: hydric, instant elastic, viscoelastic pure, hydro-lock, irrecoverable mechano-sorptive and mechano-sorptive creep. Variations of these elementary strains are established separately. In particular, the evolution law of the hydro-lock strain constructed on the basis of experimental observations is different in phase of drying and moistening. An auxiliary stress introduced in accordance with thermodynamic principles, solves the problem of recovering the hydro-lock strain in the moistening phase in case with zero or little stress. In parallel, a new rheological model is proposed to model the viscoelastic behavior at variable humidity. This model, equivalent to a generalized Maxwell model and / or a generalized Kelvin-Voigt model, is able to describe the creep as well as relaxation. The second chapter of this part is devoted to the transformation of the analytical model in an incremental form on finite time step. The contribution of each elementary part is established by exact resolutionfrom differential equations or Boltzmann’s integrals. The sum of elementary forms thus obtained leads to the complete model behavior law which is similar to that of an equivalent thermo-elastic behavior. Because of the integration process, the time step calculation is finished but not necessarily small. This property is very important because it significantly reduces the computation time while maintaining very good accuracy. The last part is divided into three chapters. It presents numerical implementation of hydro- mechanical model using the finite element code Cast3m, followed by validation and applications to various classes of problems. The numerical algorithm is organized into independent modules. Elementary procedures are built to perform specific functions; they are called in a specific order by the main program. Model validation is made by comparison between simulated results and experimental data available in tension and bending. The last chapter of the thesis presents applications of solid wood reconstituted silver fir. They show the ability of the model to predict the states of stress and strain in timber structures under mechanical loading and variable humidity.

The shear strength of soil-structure interfaces is relevant to the stability of energy piles. The thermo-hydro-mechanical processes can have a strong effect on the behaviour of interfaces between unsaturated soils and piles. Temperature changes lead to water movement in the soil. The moisture loss or gain in the soil causes drying or wetting. In addition, water movement influences the heat transfer properties of the soil. Temperature and moisture content changes affect the magnitude of soil suction in unsaturated soils. Changes in soil suction alter the strength and deformation characteristics of the soil mass and soil-structure interfaces. Similar to the effects of temperature changes, the mechanical loading and the changes in hydraulic conditions in the ground would cause changes in the void ratio, degree of saturation, suction, strength and deformation characteristics of soil. The interface behaviour under varying thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) conditions is classified as a coupled problem and this is the subject of the present research. In the present investigation, laboratory studies and numerical analyses are carried out to evaluate the THM effect on the behaviour of interfaces between an energy pile material and an unsaturated soil. A 3D interface apparatus (Fakharian and Evgin 1996) has been modified (Fu et al. 2013) to allow the behaviour of an interface to be studied under thermo-mechanical loading conditions. In the present study, the experiments are conducted on soil samples with low degree of saturation and high degree of saturation. It is found that in interface tests using soil samples with low degree of saturation, the adhesion increased due to a positive effect of suction on strength than the negative effect of increasing temperatures. However, in interface tests on soil samples with high degree of saturation, the adhesion decreased with increasing temperatures while the positive effect of suction was not large enough to overcome the negative effect of increasing temperatures. This is a new finding that has not been reported anywhere in the literature. The friction angle for both soil samples (with different degrees of saturation) changed slightly with temperature change. Coupled finite element analyses conducted in the present study provide the following geotechnical information that would be useful for the design of energy piles: (a) Bearing capacity of the pile with and without the effect of temperature, (b) The effect of degree of saturation (or suction) on the strength and deformation characteristics of both the soil and the soil-structure interface, (c) Temperature effects on the amount of pile head movements (up or down), (d) Temperature induced stresses in the pile, (f) Amount of heat that can be stored or extracted from the ground as a function of time. At the initial stages of this study, THM effects on the behaviour of energy piles under saturated and unsaturated conditions are analyzed by using SIGMA/W and VADOSE/W finite element codes of GeoStudio 2012. Although these codes are not multi-physics FE codes, it is possible to use them sequentially to obtain results that will show the trends in pile behaviour. This numerical approach is used first to analyze the behaviour of an energy pile installed partially in unsaturated soil. The moisture content and temperature distributions around a 10 m long, bored pile are calculated using transient analyses. Changes taking place in the stress state along the pile shaft and the bearing capacity of the pile at different temperatures are calculated. In the second part of the numerical analysis of the present study, THM effects on the behaviour of energy piles under saturated and unsaturated conditions are analyzed by using PLAXIS 2D finite element code. PLAXIS is a fully couples finite element code. In order to enhance present understanding of the behaviour of energy piles and do the analysis correctly, a fully coupled analysis involving thermo-hydro-mechanical processes was carried out. Three simulations (mechanical loading only, thermo-mechanical coupling and thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling) are conducted using case studies that are available in the literature. In addition, the behaviour of a generic energy pile, which is installed in a kaolin-sand mixture, is studied by taking into consideration of thermo–hydro-mechanical processes. The coupled analysis provided the distributions of temperature, degree of saturation, suction and heat flux in the analysis domain. Numerical results of the fully-coupled method are compared with the results of sequential method of analysis.

Glaciation is considered one of the main natural processes that can have a significant impact on the long term performance of DGRs. The northern part of the American continent has been subjected to a series of strong glaciation and deglaciation events over the past million years. Glacial cycles cause loading and unloading, temperature changes and hydraulic head changes at the ground surface. These changes can be classified as transient boundary conditions. It is widely accepted that the periodic pattern of past glacial cycles during the Late Quaternary period are resultant of the Earth’s orbital geometry changes that is expected to continue in the future. Therefore, from the safety perspective of DGRs, such probable events need to be taken into account. The objective of this thesis is to develop a numerical model to investigate the thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) coupled processes that have resulted from long term past and future climate changes and glaciation cycles on a proposed DGR in sedimentary rocks in southern Ontario. The first application is done on a large geological cross section that includes the entire Michigan basin by using a hydro-mechanical (HM) coupled process. The results are compared with field data of anomalous pore water pressures from deep boreholes in sedimentary rocks of southern Ontario. In this work. The modeling results seem to support the hypothesis that at least the underpressures in the Ordovician formation could be partially attributed to past glaciation. The second application is made on site conditions by using the THMC model. The results for the pore water pressure, tracer profiles, permafrost depth and effective stress profile are compared with the available field data, the results show that the solute transport in the natural limestone and shale barrier formations is controlled by diffusion, which provide evidence that the main mechanism of transport at depth is diffusion-dominant. The third application is made on site conditions to determine the effect of underground changes in DGRs due to DGR construction. The results show that future glaciation loads will induce larger increases in effective stresses on the shaft. Furthermore, it is found that hypothetical nuclide transport in a failed shaft can be controlled by diffusion and advection. The simulation results show that the solute transported in a failed shaft can reach the shallow bedrock groundwater zone. These results might imply that a failed shaft will substantially lose its effectiveness as a barrier. The fourth application is proposed to investigate the geochemical evolution of sedimentary host rock in a near field scale. In this part, a new thermo-hydro-mechanical-geochemical simulator (COMSOL-PHREEQC) is developed. It is anticipated that there will be a geochemical reaction within the host rock that results from interaction with the water enriched with the CO2 generated by nuclear waste.

Subject of this graduation thesis is an assessment of business plan for hydro power station conctruction. The purpose of this thesis is to elaborate feasibility study to fullfill application form for financial support from the EU Structural Funds. First theoretical chapter is focused on conception of renewable resources, hydraolic power, qualification of process preparation and realization of business plan. Second chapter is an elaboration of chosen business plan. The structure of this business plan follows requirements specified by current EKO-ENERGIE aid program appell. In conclusion the thesis analyses and comments the obtained results given by the elaborated feasibility study.

L’adaptation au changement global à l’échelle des bassins versants requiert la sélection des mesures d’adaptation efficace dans un contexte d’incertitudes élevées concernant les conditions futures. Étant donné l’interdépendance entre les usagers de l’eau à l’échelle d’un bassin versant, des accords sont nécessaires pour mettre en place les mesures d’adaptation les plus efficaces. Cette thèse développe une approche pour : sélectionner un programme de mesures d’adaptation coût-efficace dans un contexte d’incertitudes liées au changement climatique ; et pour définir une répartition équitable du coût d’un tel programme de mesures entre les différentes parties prenantes. Le cadre méthodologique développé intègre les deux principales approches habituellement utilisées pour la planification de l’adaptation. La première, intitulée « Top-down» (Descendante), évalue l’impact de différents scénarios climatiques au niveau global sur les ressources en eau à l’échelle locale. La deuxième approche, appelée « Bottom-up » (Ascendante), commence par évaluer la vulnérabilité au niveau local pour ensuite identifier des mesures d’adaptation qui permettront de faire face à un futur incertain. Les résultats des approches précédentes, appliquées dans le bassin versant de l’Orb (France), ont été intégrés au moyen d’un modèle d’optimisation pour sélectionner une combinaison coût-efficace de mesures d’adaptation, considérant la possibilité de développer de nouvelles infrastructures, mais aussi de mettre en place des mesures d’économie d’eau dans les ménages ou d’amélioration de l’efficacité de l’irrigation. Le modèle est ensuite utilisé pour explorer les arbitrages possibles entre différents objectifs de planification et identifier des mesures d’adaptation robustes et de moindre regret. La question de la répartition du coût du plan d’adaptation est ensuite considérée depuis deux perspectives complémentaires. Le processus de négociation entre les acteurs impliqués est modélisé au moyen de la théorie des jeux coopératifs pour définir des scénarios de répartition des coûts équitables. Ces scénarios sont ensuite comparés avec des règles de répartition des coûts basées sur différents principes de justice sociale évaluées avec les acteurs locaux pour apporter des éléments de discussion au processus de négociation. Le cadre méthodologique interdisciplinaire développé durant cette thèse contribue à combler l’écart entre les méthodes Top-down (descendantes) et Bottom-up (ascendantes) pour informer la définition de plan d’adaptation coût-efficace et équitable à l’échelle locale. / Adaptation to global change challenges at the river basin scale requires selecting from demand and supply management measures in a context of high uncertainty on future conditions. Given the interdependency of water users, agreements need to be found at the local level to implement the most effective adaptation measures. Therefore, this thesis develops an approach combining economics and water resources engineering to: select a cost-effective programme of adaptation measures in the context of climate change uncertainty; and define an equitable allocation of the cost of the adaptation plan between the stakeholders involved. The framework developed integrates inputs from the two main approaches commonly used to plan for adaptation. The first, referred to as “top-down”, estimates the impact on the local water resources from different climate change scenarios at the global level. Conversely, the second, called “bottom-up”, starts by assessing vulnerability at the local level to then identify adaptation measures to face an uncertain future. Outcomes from the previous approaches applied in the Orb River basin (France) are integrated to select a cost-effective combination of adaptation measures through a least-cost optimization model developed at the river basin scale. Supply-side infrastructure development measures are considered, as well as demand-side household water conservation measures or irrigation efficiency improvement. The model is then used to investigate the trade-offs between different planning objectives and to identify robust and least-regret adaptation measures. The issue of allocating the cost of the adaptation plan is considered from two complementary perspectives. The outcome of a negotiation process between the stakeholders is modelled through the implementation of cooperative game theory to define cost allocation scenarios. These results are then compared with cost allocation rules based on social justice principles to provide contrasted insights into a negotiation process. The interdisciplinary framework developed during this thesis combines economics and water resources engineering methods, creating a promising means of bridging the gap between bottom-up and top-down approaches and supporting the definition of cost-effective and equitable adaptation plans at the local level.

In the last decade, the power generation mix and the energy markets have been affected by the growing development of distributed and renewable energy sources.Nevertheless, a significant drawback of solar and wind energy is their intermittent and weather-dependent production, which often leads to a mismatch between renewable energy production and its use. Thus, the need for energy storage is recently emerging and becoming more relevant in this era of the energy transition. Among several technologies, today, pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) represents the largest share of the energy storage systems in the world. However, possible new investors, who might be attracted by potential profit in PHES, are repelled bythe long payback period and the scarcity of adequate site topology for such power plants. Relevant design decisions can be taken to reduce the costs and improve the performance or to escape the PHES topographical requirements. For this reason, the first part of this PhD thesis reviews and provides potential assessments of some unconventional PHES systems, applied in synergy with existing infrastructures. Such is the standpoint of micro facilities near waterway locks, or underground cavities used as lower reservoirs (UPSH), or the use of pump-turbines at variable geometryto cope with fluctuating loads.Moreover, important information on PHES in micro-scale is largely missing and their potential in distributed energy systems still needs to be unveiled. In the attempt to fill this gap, this thesis provides a techno-economic overview of the design and characterization of a first-of-its-kind PHES micro facility. In micro-scales hydropower projects, the initial capital cost of a conventional hydroelectric unit is hard to be determined and often economically prohibitive. Interestingly, in order to cut the total capital investment, the micro-PHES prototype runs with a single centrifugal pump for both pumping and generating phases and exploits existing stormwater reservoirs. The variable speed regulation is also implemented and it allows the pump to constantly operate at the maximum hydraulic efficiency in order to deal with load variations. In the same way, the pump working in reverse, namely pump as turbine (PaT), runs at the most suitable speed and it keeps a high efficiency over a wide load range. In addition, the analysis of the techno-economic parameters for such a system provides an important dataset for micro-PHES feasibility breakdown.PaTs are a legitimate cost-effective option in micro hydropower but an universal performance prediction does not exist. Their hydraulic efficiency can possibly shift from the higher efficiency of traditional hydraulic turbines. Nowadays, these reasons restrict PaTs exploitation. In this thesis, a multivariate regression method is applied to the CFD results to build a surrogate model of the PaT hydraulic characteristics as a function of the cutwater geometrical modifications. Based on this model, an optimization problem is solved to identify the most advantageous geometrical assetof the PaT cutwater to maximize the hydraulic efficiency. The presented methodology and design optimization of the cutwater in PaTs, which are extremely suited to our current energy generation needs, provides a unique and much-sought guide to its performance, improvements, and adaptation to hydropower. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur et technologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished